Predator and Prey
by FrostTigress
Summary: When the already rare Dragon Slayer mages start to disappear, what will the fiery Natsu do to save his friends and allies? Takes place after Nirvana! Rated for eventual language and violence.
1. Dangerous Toys

**Summary: When the already rare Dragon Slayer mages start to disappear, what will the fiery Natsu do to save his friends and allies?**

**A/N: I know there are only five actual and two artificial dragon slayers in the actual thing, but again, this is a fanfiction. There are a few more dragon slayers, though they are still rare.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters besides the evil ones.**

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**Chapter 1 ~ Dangerous Toys**

_Don't try this at home, kids..._

The gleaming emerald eyes scrunched up, pleased at the outcome. The voice belonging to them slithered from the man's mouth, which was twirked up in a grimace of a smile.

"Good, the Knight is coming along well, I see. Soon, it will be ready for testing." The hooded figure turned it's silver eyes to his face.

"When do you want the subjects?"

"Start bringing them now... We'll need all we can get before it's done."

"How do you want me to get the special one?"

"Any way possible. Use his friends if you have to."

"And the weapon?"

"Nearly completed. I can tell you're eager for it to be done." A grin appeared from under the shade of the hood.

"Yes, I'm very eager." A slight, dark chuckle floated from the darkness. "I can't wait to cause immeasurable pain to those slayers. Especially while I drain their magic and leave them helpless."

The hooded figure drifted or walked, it was hard to tell, and picked up the sword with the jagged blade edge and blood-red gleam.

"I cannot wait to take out the Salamander with my magic and this Knight."

"Remember, we have to keep him alive for a short while. No killing him right off the bat until we know how the knight works on him."

"Yes, Master. I will be as patient as possible."

"Good. Go and think up a plan. Execute it as necessary, and make sure that he is alive, though not necessarily in one piece."

"Yes, Master." The hooded figure nodded and drifted away. The tall, green-eyed monster turned and stroked the blade lovingly.

"Soon, my perfect creation. We'll know how well you work soon."

The blade glittered menacingly, the red gleam anticipating the day it got its first taste of blood. Especially the blood of dragon slayers.

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**Extremely short, but it's just a prologue for what is going to be going down. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I have time.**


	2. Disappearances

**A/N: Woo! Already two reviews! I'm glad this story is going to be a hit. ^^ This chapter will be longer, as will the rest following, don't worry my dears.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. TnT Unfortunately.**

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**Chapter 2 ~ Disappearances**

_The silence of the missing is noticeable._

The pink haired boy's olive green eyes searched the job board with, well boredom. Nothing really stuck out and he leaned against a post irritably. His blue exceed tapped his shoulder and he turned.

"Yeah, Happy? What is it?"

"I found one that looks like you might want to read it..." Happy held out a crumpled paper slowly. Natsu's eyes scanned it quickly. As he read farther, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It does sound strange... Erza! Lucy! Where's that damned droopy-eyes?" The blond put a finger to her lip as she walked to him, thinking back a bit.

"I think he went on a job with Juvia." The red-head answered, dragging a massive wagon stuffed with suitcases behind her. "I take it you found one?"

"Yeah, though this one is a little different. Seems dragon slayers have been going missing lately."

"Really?" Lucy asked, tilting her head. The blue cat flew in front of her.

"Aye." The excited exceed sounded a little worried. Wendy walked up.

"How can they go missing? Dragon slayers like us are so powerful!" Her eyes were round with awe and fright at the same time.

"That's what I want to know..." Natsu put his hand on his head, scratching it thoughtfully. "Well, either way. We're taking this job, okay guys?"

"Aye!" Happy cheered. Carla did nothing but let out a snort while Wendy nodded with determination. Lucy threw her fist in the air and Erza just tilted her head.

"Why are you all waiting? Let's go!" The red head glared at them and the group cowered.

"A-Aye!" Natsu mumbled.

"That's my line!" Happy mumbled floating quickly away from the red-head.

* * *

Back at the guild, Mira had seen the group rush off.

"I don't remember putting that odd paper up there... Did someone sneak in and stick it up? If so, I hope they don't run into any trouble... It could be a trap." She mused quietly, a hand on her hip.

* * *

Natsu tensed as a strange scent floated on the breeze. He was on alert as when they had reached the destination, all that awaited them was a smooth, open and dry grassy plain. Erza sat in the shade of her massive luggage and Lucy beside her with Happy on her lap. Wendy sat on top of the trunks and suitcases, Carla sprawled beside her. Natsu turned to them.

"We're here, why isn't anyone else?" His unease was a little unsettling as he was usually full of fury and fire, ready to go all the time. Lucy sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

"Just wait, someone'll show up eventually." The pink haired boy snorted, not truly happy with that answer. He paced back and forth before freezing, glaring at the distant cloud that had appeared from nowhere.

"What's that?" He was stiff as he pointed it out to the others. They stood and brushed dust and dirt from their cloths as they waited quietly. The cloud got closer at a rapid rate, almost seeming to descend with each passing second. Finally, it slowed right above the ground, an inch off of it. Three people stepped lightly from it. One with silver hair and a blue streak smirked a bit.

"Who knew the almighty Salamander would fall for a trick like that. Believing that there are actually enough Dragon Slayers to do that with? We've only got three others, and who knows how long they lasted." Her voice was filled with contempt and a strange looking girl strode up beside her, a bit taller.

"When can we bake these freaks?" The weird one's eyes were dilated and her mouth open in a crazy smile. A wispy girl that was abnormally short stepped out from behind the two.

"Master said to take the blue one. That's all we'll do for now." Her narrow face and pale eyes had an almost permanently worried look etched in them. The one with the weird smile took off her hat, revealing bright orange hair.

"Yeah yeah. Said nothing about the others though. Does that mean the blond and red-head are fresh pickings?"

"Shut up, Zinni. You talk too much. No, we're here to beat them and take the blue one. I'll get the slayer, Wren, you get the weak blond and the blue girl. Zinni, handle Titania. She's a handful I hear, so be careful." The other two nodded, shutting up and splitting formation slowly. Natsu let out a shout.

"Hey! You speak as if we can't hear you! We'll I'll make sure you never bug my frie-" He was cut off as a jet of salt-water slammed into his face, throwing him back a few meters.

"Can it, Salamander. Or don't your kind like water?" The silver-haired girl laughed. "The name of your opponent is Brin. Welcome to your sorrow, Natsu Dragneel. Will you sink or swim?" Jet after jet hurtled into his face, giving him no break to get a fire started.

Erza fared no better against the psychotic fire mage. She slammed endless waves of pure volcanic heat into her, nearly melting her armor.

"Damnit Natsu! Pull yourself together and eat some of this fire!" The red-head snarled at him. A gust of wind slammed Lucy into Erza's luggage, making the crazy requip mage pause in her battle, sweat pouring from her face. "Stop slacking, Lucy! I'll string you up by your toes if you bitch and moan!" She furiously changed to her Fire-resistant set, holding her sword at ready.

Wendy focused hard on trying to summon up a Roar of the Sky Dragon, but she was spun up and in the air by a strange, small tornado. She let out a small scream as she was whipped around.

"Carla!" She called, but the white exceed had already been knocked flat to the ground by the force of the wind. Natsu took a moment to check on everyone else's fights, and seeing nobody was winning he leaped high into the air, though he was smashed quickly flat into the ground by the force of the salt water. Brin laughed.

"See how futile it is? You'll never beat me. Water naturally cancels out fire. You poor, impossible boy. You'll lose your friends and soon your life, just you wait." She made the water hover, sharpening them slowly into pointed water spears before making them all spin at high speed. "You won't feel these till they exit." She smiled and they flew to him, slicing through his skin, even though it was nearly impenetrable. The tornado holding Wendy slowed and dropped her into the arms of the fire mage that stood in front of an exhausted Erza.

"Had enough yet, Titania?" The carrot-top chuckled, holding the blue-haired dragon slayer tightly. Wren summoned up another cloud and left behind a weakened Lucy. The two Fairy Tail girls stay on their knees, shocked to have lost so quickly. Erza smashed her fist in the ground as the three attackers escaped, little Wendy in their grasp.

"Nothing. We could do nothing... How could we be so weak?!" Erza shouted angrily at the sky. Lucy scooted over.

"I don't know..." Lucy stopped as she saw Natsu staggering over, blood dripping from the many cuts and holes in his body. None looked honestly life threatening, but the shear number of them amassed what blood they could. The blond was horrified. She had never seen him in such bad shape, not even when he had fought anyone else. Sure he'd get battered and bruised, but never completely bloody.

"Natsu? Are-Are you okay?" Erza's voice had changed from strong and angry to odly frightened. The three of them were like children, lost and clueless without anything to grasp. Natsu fall to his knees beside the two.

"I couldn't win..." He mumbled, tired from trying so hard to summon his flames under the water attacks and from the immensity of the situation. "It's my fault we fell into this trap, and that Wendy got taken..." Erza gave him a shake, bringing his eyes to meet her own.

"It's not your fault. We should have suspected something, so if anything, blame all of us. Needless, we need to go back and tell Master what happened and to rest up a bit. Natsu nodded slowly, trying to haul himself to his feet. The three of them staggered back, disappointed with themselves.

How strong could their enemy be?

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**So how was it? Better since I was able to get a little more in there? Also, the reason why Gray isn't with will be explained next chapter.**

**Don't forget to review, my pretties. *Cackle***


	3. Trapping

**A/N: TnT This speed updating is hard on me with my school stuff getting in the way. I really need to be working on my Algebra and final project in my web class, so if I don't update quickly, you know why.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, though I would love to keep one in my closet.**

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**Chapter 3 ~ Trapping**

_"It's a trap!" -Admiral Ackbar_

Wendy let out a wimper as she woke, sitting up in her small, cramped cell. The cold stones of the floor were smooth from use and age, with filth sticking to them. She curled her legs up against her body, shivering. The dim light shone in, showing her that she was alone. Her mind wandered back to the fighting. She remembered seeing everyone getting hurt and then being picked up in a tornado of a sort. She remembered she wasn't strong enough to stop it and that her friends had tried so hard. A lone tear trickled from her face before she vigerously wiped it away, mumbling to herself.

"I can't cry. Natsu will come and save me. I'm sure of it!" Her hopes were small, though, and spoken with a listless quality. A sound of footsteps approaching caused her to look up and scoot to the corner farthest from the door. It opened and a head with silver hair poked inside.

"Hungry? I have a little food for you." It was the one called Brin, and in her hands she held a small plate with noodles and a piece of chicken. Wendy looked at her wearily. "It's okay. I won't hurt you for now. I'm not that much like them. I have standards, and I will not hurt some little girl." Reassured by the sincerity in her tone, Wendy stood and brushed the dirt and filth from her knees.

"Why am I here?" She asked as she grabbed the plate, innocent eyes looking up at her captor. The dark mage shrugged.

"I think they're using you as bait. You see, we want Salamander to come to us willingly before we can test the Knight. It's a special blade we made to slay dragon slayers. It cancels out their magic and even steals some of their power, or at least that's what we hope. You're our chance at getting Dragneel, so I doubt you'll be able to escape. Your best shot is to hope he gets here." The woman's voice was aloof, and a little harsh when she mentioned Natsu.

"Why do you guys want him?"

"He's too damn kind. He does everything so cluelessly, and yet he always pulls through! How can anyone do that." Brin smashed her fist in the wall, frightening Wendy into backing up a few steps. "Sorry, I just hate it when guys like him don't even know how perfect they are."

"So you hate him because you think he's perfect? Why? He's just like the rest of us. He has weaknesses too. He can't stand transportation, and he loves spicy food!"

"Thanks kid, that's all I needed to know." Brin smirked at her before taking the now empty plate and exiting. Wendy sat heavily on the ground as she realized she had just exposed Natsu's weakness to the enemy. The silver-haired mage waved through the bars at the small girl.

"What have I done? Oh, Natsu, please be careful when you come..." She let out a small sob and buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Natsu had run ahead, as usual, leaving the others at the guild without a clue where to go. Carla and Happy were able to follow him, though even they were having issues keeping up with the rage-induced sprint.

"Natsu!" Happy called out to his pink-haired friend. "Wait for us!" The words fell on deaf ears, though and he continued running, following the hint of a scent on the breeze. "Hey Natsu! Slow down!" Happy whined. He knew it was important for Natsu to hurry, but at the rate he was going, he would run out of energy before he even managed to save her. The blue exceed let out a sad huff and tried to put another burst of energy into flying. Carla stayed quiet, flying at his side.

"Happy, I have to save her." The white cat looked at the other, a sad determination gleaming in her eyes.

"Aye." Happy nodded to her, blinking at the strange site of her actually caring.

Natsu stopped by the ocean. It was a steep drop to the rough waves below, though he knew the scent was around here. He turned to look along the coast and spotted a strange, dark structure. Eagerly, he started running for it, though his limbs locked and he crashed to the ground, rolling from being stopped in mid-sprint. A laugh filled the air.

"This is Salamander? I thought he'd be older and stronger and wiser than to come." A large man with an open jacket laughed. He was well tanned and had smudges and soot everywhere. His partner, a strange, hooded person nodded once.

"He came, just like I had planned. I knew the job would be irresistible for him, considering he cares so much." The voice was monotonous, though will a cool hint that suggested malicious thoughts and hopes. Natsu glared at the two.

"What do you mean? Where's Wendy? Let her go!" He ranted, trying to move to no avail. A stream of iron flowed around him and his body twisted painfully against his will. The iron closed around his wrists and ankles and together in a solid mass. He let out a snarl as he was finally able to move. "Just let Wendy go. I don't care what you do to me, but let her go!" His eyes were wild and his face was contorted with a mix of pain and hatred.

"Don't worry. If she knows how to swim, she'll be fine since she's no longer necessary, though I wonder how well she'll do with iron around her feet?" The large man started to cackle and Natsu's eyes widened a moment. Something inside of him snapped and he started thrashing around without his limbs, trying to fight the earth with his head, beating it against the rocks.

"Leave her alone! She's just a little girl!" Happy and Carla had caught up and heard the conversation from behind a rock. Stealthily, the two of them flew nearer the castle where they saw the crazy carrot-top holding Wendy over a ledge. Carla flew low, settling beside the cliff, while Happy went high, hiding under the ledge itself.

"Well, have fun swimming, kiddo!" The crazy chick spat out a dry laugh and let go of Wendy, letting her fall a ways before heading back inside. The weight of her took both Happy and Carla to slow before they got her away from the water's edge.

"They wanted Natsu. Did they get him? Is that why I was thrown?" The blue-haired girl had tears in her eyes. Happy nodded slowly.

"A-Aye. He came to rescue you." Carla and Happy set her down on the ground gently. She brought up a filthy hand and rubbed away her tears.

"Then we need to get everyone else, before it's too late. They're going to do testing right away!"

"Aye!" The two exceeds picked her up again and took off in flight, back to the guild.

* * *

Erza let out a snort.

"So you went on a job with Juvia? Well, while you were gone, we got attacked and Wendy got taken." Gray recoiled.

"You mean I missed a fight?! Dammit! I bet that pointy-eyed fire freak got to beat everyone up."

"Actually, no. We all lost." The red-head stated simply. The half-naked teen froze in place.

"Seriously? How?" He seemed genuinely shocked at her words.

"I don't know, but Natsu ran off a while ago to get her back. Something about dragon slayers and scents. I know he has a nose, but to catch the scent on the breeze? Isn't that even tough for him?" Gray nodded and Lucy leaned around, peering at the two.

"Do you think he's-" She was cut off as the two exceeds carrying Wendy smashed through the door, the iron not even cracking at the impact.

"Guys! Natsu's in danger!" The blue haired girl shouted. "I don't know if this is something he can win against!" Erza, Gray, and Lucy all shot to their feet, confusion and shock on their faces. Wendy continued, "The guild that has him, Willful Blood, is planning on using him to test a special weapon that cancels dragon slayer magic and drains them of their power. Not only does that mean they can beat his fire, but they can seriously hurt him as well." Gajeel looked up from his meal of iron.

"Sounds interesting. Are we going after him?" The punkish dragon slayer set the iron bar down. Wendy looked at the rest of the group.

"It's a few days travel, and only able to on foot. There's no real road either." She tugged at the iron at her feet. "From what I know, one named Brou uses his magic to manipulate minerals and ores. Another, the co-founder and strongest member manipulates blood inside of the veins. The rest that I know of are the ones that had initially attacked us, so you should know them." Erza brought out a large hammer and tapped the iron, cracking it into pieces.

"Everyone, get ready. When you're all set, we'll go get Natsu back!" Everyone let out a cheer, the rest of the guild just tilting their heads as usual, though something bothered them. Why was the group going off without Natsu? They shrugged. The group could take care of themselves just fine.

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**So what do you guys think? Worth a few reviews?**


	4. Test

**A/N: Anoooother update! I'm trying to do this on my free days, but as school is drawing to a close, I have finals and other last minute doo-dads to take care of. I hope you'll accept my most sincere apologies on that note. Now, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, no matter how much I may beg and cry.**

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**Chapter 4 ~ Test**

_Pass the tests and you can go free. It's all a lie anyways._

He was stiff and sore. Being held in the painful, uncomfortable knot while sleeping on the hard stone floor wasn't a great place to be. Opening his mouth, he spat a small jet of fire, burning the small, dry piece of bread that was left on the floor. It smelled terrible to his sensitive nose, but he was colder than normal, even being a fire dragon slayer. Shivering, he used his chin to drag himself a little closer, careful not to let out a big breath and blow the fragile flame out and waste the crisping bread. He let out a sigh, wishing he would have gone in a little smarter, and maybe after learning more about the enemy. It was too late now though, and he turned his mind to trying to find a way out of his prison. Finding nothing, he resigned himself to staring at the little fire, though he was disrupted by a clang at the door. The hooded figure stepped in slowly, followed by the one called Brou. He felt himself freeze as the things holding him in a pretzel were turned into movable shackles, though they still kept his hands behind him. The hooded one picked up the end of the free chain and held it in its hand. Silently they walked him through the hallways, leading and following him as if he were a dangerous criminal, which to them, he was. After the long, silent walk, Brou knocked on the door before it creaked slowly opening, leading them into a large, dark room. Finally they halted, eyes staring at them from the darkness.

"Good, he's here. Zon, you may stay as this was all your success," The eyes addressed the hooded figure and it nodded once slowly. They turned and settled on Natsu. "Welcome, Salamander. Are you ready to help us with our project? Yes? Good, I'm glad to hear that." He rushed the words so the dragon slayer couldn't respond quickly. "In that case, I will show you how we intend on beating the strongest mages, the dragon slayers. You see, we made a Knight, a significantly smaller than normal sword. It doesn't do much, but I'd still like you to feel it." The eyes moved forward from the darkness, revealing a monstrous mage with evil eyes and a scar on the whole right side of his face. Natsu shivered subconsciously as he drew a sword with a thirsty, crimson gleam. "This is the Knight, and you will be it's first kill." His shackles held him in place, as did Zon's magic, keeping him from moving. He shouted as the blade dug into his shoulder, splattering the both of them with his blood. The one in charge, his attacker, grinned madly at him. "Natsu Dragneel. I officially dub this day that of your slow, death. You can fight back if you wish now." The shackles and Zon's magic disappeared, leaving him to stagger and fall, holding his shoulder with a snarl on his face.

"So you couldn't let me earlier. Is it because you're afraid of me?"

"No, I am afraid of nothing. When I was little, I admired dragons and their powers. Now I have something that can destroy the only magic equal to that of a dragon's." He swung the sword again and Natsu blasted a mouthful of flames at the sword, though they were sucked into the crimson blade greedily. Natsu took a step back and the mage lunged, stabbing him in the hip with the deadly blade. Natsu sprang back, falling awkwardly and staying low to the ground.

"How does it hurt me? Why isn't my slayer magic working at all?" He asked himself, though the one he was fighting slashed the sword across his chest, the force flinging him backwards in the process.

"That's how I made it. It cancels out your magic and your naturally protective skin. Not only that, it also drains your magic power, leaving you three times weaker than normal, and just like any other human being." Natsu hit a wall and fell to his knees, becoming nearly too weak to stand. "Now, I have fully tested this and have no further need for you. It was nice getting to fight you Salamander, and I hope you die peacefully." Natsu stood shakily as the sword slashed down his chest, going deeper than the first little slice. The pink-haired boy lay in his blood, staring at it with shocked olive eyes. "Good bye." The dark form of the mage swam over him as he felt himself lifted and thrown through a window. He was unconscious before his body hit the water, sinking quickly with the current.

His eyes flickered open. He was still bleeding. Unwrapping his scarf, he tried to tie it around his chest. The stinging seawater sloshed over him, making him cry out as his still bloody slashes were burned by the water. Panting, he used his arms to haul himself farther up the beach and away from the water. His vision was going in and out of focus as he tried to keep conscious. Something blue fluttered over him and he smiled briefly before falling back under the black wave of unconsciousness.

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**So, is it worth reviews? I didn't say this yet, but if I get 20 or more before chapter 6, there might be a sequel. ;D Keep reading!**


	5. Taken

**A/N: Update! Yeah, gotta get my stuff done, but I love this story too much. Also, if you like this one, check out a couple others by me. I'd really appreciate it. ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, though I wish I had enough money to buy it.**

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**Chapter 5 ~ Taken**

_You'll never escape yourself after you've been taken over._

His eyes slowly drifted open and an excited squeal nearly shattered his eardrums.

"'Ey, be quiet..." He gasped out. "I c'n't hear anythin' now." A hand patted his chest roughly and he let out a little yelp.

"OH, I'm so so so sorry, Natsu!" The voice was Lucy's now that he listened. "I didn't mean to make it hurt, oh I'm sorry." He grunted, rubbing his eyes so he could see.

"It's fine, just be careful, will yah?" He watched her blond hair bob in an eager nod. "So how long have I been out?" He forced himself into a sitting position, brushing her hands away when she tried to push him down.

"It's been almost a week."

"How the hell? Did Wendy help me?"

"Wendy and Gajeel are missing." The pink-haired boy flung his legs over the bed, pain flashing in his eyes.

"Shit, we can't let this happen..." He nearly fell as he staggered to the door and shoved it open before descending to the main hall of the guild. Everyone looked at him with surprise, almost shocked that he had woke up so quietly and so quickly came down stairs. Erza marched up to him.

"Get back in bed, you're in no condition to do anything."

"Erza, get out of my way. Don't you know how much danger the other two are in?" He snarled, a feral gleam in his olive eyes as they darted about. The requip mage backed up suddenly, the actions of her friend scaring her. Lucy came up behind Natsu and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to calm down, this won't help them at all if you go after them in this condition."

"There's no time! You don't get it, do you. They kept me there for I don't know how long, and in less than an hour, I was nearly killed! They could already be dead and all we're doing is sitting here! Dammit!" Natsu slammed his fist into a wall, cracking it. The room was silent, and seeing nobody move gave him the motivation. "I'm going, I don't care if you guys follow." Natsu stormed out, leaving everyone dumbstruck. As he was in the process of slamming the door behind him, Gray crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. Natsu grunted while glaring up at the ice mage.

"Hey, pointy eyes, where're you going?" Gray sneered down at him. "You don't even look like you can walk straight."

"Can it you damned stripper! I have places to be before he kills them." Smoke curled from Natsu's mouth. Gray frowned and poked him hard in the chest, right on the cut. Natsu let out a small yelp, recoiling.

"Don't think you can beat them with this here. Just wait a bit and we'll all go together." The black-haired mage snorted at the dragon slayer. "Unless you want to die with them." He goaded. The dragon slayer snarled.

"Shut it, droopy eyes. I'm going and you can't stop me." He slammed him to the side and into the still open door. Gray stayed close to the door, though he didn't fall against it like Natsu had planned. The pissed dragon slayer kept staggering off, the guild silent until he was well away. Lucy grabbed Erza's hand.

"Come on. If they're all at the same place Natsu was, I'll get us a train. You guys get some stuff ready, especially medical supplies." She darted to the station, leaving the other two of the team behind. Erza sighed and pushed Gray.

"You didn't have to aggravate him, you know."

"But he needed to know he's still hurt more than he thinks."

"All you did was give him more drive."

"Just a friendly shove." Gray turned away. "And besides, don't you do the same thing?" She was silent at that and he nodded. "Knowing him, he'll be fine until we catch up."

"Honestly, he needs more rest."

"Then go get him."

"Fine, I will." She nodded, racing the direction of the slayer. "But you wait here for Lucy. It shouldn't take her too long."

* * *

Lucy carried the three tickets back, noting the setting sun. A sound came from a nearby alley that sounded like a plea. Walking cautiously over, the blond peeked around the corner. A hooded figure grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back. Something cool looped around her wrists and she was thrown over a shoulder. She didn't have any control of her body and the tickets lay at the entrance, all four barely ruffling in the wind.


	6. A Scent

**A/N: Holy shit! I forgot all about this one while I was working on Draco. Sorry guys, please forgive me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters and I'll never be able to claim that credit. ;n;**

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**Chapter 6 ~ A Scent**

_Something smells fishy..._

He paced, his injuries becoming agitated with his unresting movement.

"Alright, you brought me back here an hour ago. Lucy left before I got back. Lucy still isn't back. What the hell happened to her?!" He snarled, eyes flashing angrily at the requip mage. She shrugged.

"Lucy's a big girl, she can take care of herself. If anything, I'd bet she's beating some poor boys for looking at her chest."

"You know, you don't have to be a pervert, Erza. You're the one that looks through her lingerie." Gray smirked a bit at the older.

"And who's the one not wearing cloths?" Gray looked at himself as Erza mentioned his frequent missing articles.

"Shit! When did that happen?!" Natsu snorted, unamused by the exchange. The other two looked at him, small frowns on their faces.

"If it makes you feel better, we can go look fo-"

"Yes please now preferably." He snapped, head jerking to Erza before she could finish her sentence. She glowered at him.

"Just calm down. We'll find her, don't worry." Natsu crumbled, going down to his knees and holding his head in his hands.

"I wasn't able to keep her safe! It's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed off to that one job. I should be more careful!" A choked sob shocked the whole group into silence. Natsu crying? Last time he did that was when he was a child! Erza lowered herself beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, we'll get her back before they can hurt her. Now let's go to the train station." The two guys nodded, Natsu collecting himself quickly and Gray not even speaking of the moment of weakness. Sure the flame-brain might have if it was him, but Gray knew better than to bug Natsu when he was this frantic and stressed. When they neared the station, Natsu paused, looking at an alley.

"I smell them. Lucy, and the jerks from earlier. The ones that beat us up..." He raced towards the scent, Erza and Gray scrambling to catch up to him.

"Natsu! Come back here! You know you can't handle them alone!"

"I'll be fine until you guys get there! Just follow me and quick!" He didn't slow down until they had reached the beach where Natsu had been first found. He stared up at the castle.

"Natsu, you can't be serious about this..."

"Deadly so." His eyes were cold and hard and he sprinted, flames wrapping around his wrists, at the castle. As soon as his fist connected with a lower wall, it crumbled, shooting rock and debris in an unpredictable manner, nearly leveling a guard. Natsu's foot connected with his face and he crumpled. He grabbed the keys and shot over to the one area he remembered. The cells near the sea. He opened one, finding the whole group of his comrades, bound and gagged. Their wide eyes (excluding Gajeel who kept glaring) all pointed to something behind him. An attack of fire, water, and air smashed him into the wall beside them. He shot to his feet and spun, throwing a flaming fist at the nearest face. It hit Brin, throwing her backwards into Wren.

"Well, looks like the dragon is all 'fired up'. Too bad we have to crush him for the master." Zinni chuckled manically, throwing more fire at him. He gulped it down, leaving Zinni frowning.

"You dolt, he's a fire dragon slayer, don't use that on him." Brin snarled as she got to her feet, kicking Wren a little as she stood. A jet of salt water smashed into Natsu, crushing him against the wall. Zinni lit a fire under it, quickly heating the water to a nearly boiling point. Wren tried smashing some wind into him, though Wendy sucked it up, finally getting her gag off.

"Zinni, maybe you should take care of the airy one?" Wren mumbled, scared looking eyes turning to the psychopathic fire mage. A flame smashed into her back making her wince.

"Maybe you should toughen up!" The flames smashed into her relentlessly until Natsu devoured them and kicked Zinni in the face, throwing her through a wall. He turned to Brin and kicked her chin, snapping her head back and letting her fall in reverse. His face turned to Wren, who slowly held up her hands in defeat.

"Where's your master?"

"That way." The small one pointed down the hall. Natsu ran off, leaving his friends to be untied by Gray, who just glared after his back at being ignored.

"He's going to do something stupid..."


End file.
